L?^VOHJ43[0l 
ORGANIC NATURE IN SRI LANKAN 
VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE 
AN EXPLORATORY STUDY 
A Dissertation submitted to The University Of 
Moratuwa as a partial fulfilment of the requirements 
for the Degree of Master of Science in Architecture. 
Thushani Wellivitiya 
Department of Architecture 
University Of Moratuwa 
Sri Lanka. 
May 2000. 
0 7 4 1 0 7 
University of Moratuwa 
74107 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
I would like to express my great gratitude to Mr. Vijitha Basnayaka, senior lecturer, 
Department of Architecture, University of Moratuwa, for the patient support given 
throughout this study, by teaching, challenging,and encouraging to find out the 
essence of this work. 
Several other teachers deserve my thanking for they provided the initial incentive 
to prepare this material. They are Dr. L. S.R.Perera, Dr. Ranjith Dayarathn. Dr. 
Samitha Manawadu, Mr. Kris de Serum of Department of Architecture , University of 
Moratuwa, Mr.K.D.K. Fernado, senior lecturer, Department of Town and Country 
Planning, University of Moratuwa and Mrs. Hester Basnayaka, director, Environment 
Planning division, Urban Development Authority. 
Special thanks to Rev Gonamaiawe Sugathasara Thero , who gave me rare books 
and provided insight to this work. 
I want further thank to Archt. Ravin Gunarathna, for showing me the gravity of the 
topic and to my friends, Samanthi, and Dammika malli for helping me to visit 
relevant places. 
Special thanks to Indika for his patience, invaluable support, and encouragement 
given. 
Also the library staff of university of Moratuwa, National library, Museum libra"/, 
staff of reading room, Department of Architecture, university of Moratuwa, staff of 
Archeological Department & Central Cultural Fund, staff of computer room in 
Department of Architecture, for being so helpful and Mr. Alahakoon, Department of 
Architecture, for gladly spending his time and effort to take several photographs. 
Finally I want acknowledge my dearest parents for their patience, understanding 
and encouragement throughout my effort. 
II 
CONTENTS 
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t 
List o f c o n t e n t s 
List of f i g u r e s 
List of p l a t e s 
PAGE NO: 
n 
X 
A b s t r a c t x i 
I n t r o d u c t i o n 
T o p i c E x p l a n a t i o n 
T h e i s s u e 
T h e h y p o t h e s i s 
T h e a i m 
T h e w a y 
L i m i t a t i o n s 
CHAPTER ONE 
1.0 Organic Architecture and Vernacular Architecture - The Preface 
1.1 Organic Architecture As a living being 
1.1.1 Organic Architecture - An interpretation 1 
1.1.2 Conceptions of Organic 3 
1.1.3 The Origin and Evolution 13 
1.2 Vernacular Architecture 
1.2.1 Vernacular Architecture - An Interpretation 16 
1.2.2 The Evolution 17 
CHAPTER TWO 
Organic Architecture-The Spirit 
2.0 Organic architecture , As a living being 
2.1 Nature of Being 19 
2.1.1 Continuity 21 
2.1.2 Discontinuity 21 
2.2 The Form of Life 25 
III 
2.3 The Space for Life 26 
2.4 Conceiving 30 
2.4.1 Organization of Spaces 32 
2.4.2 Hierarchical Order 32 
2.4.3 Integrity of the Inside and the Out side 33 
2.5 Nourishing 35 
2.5.1 The Material 35 
2.5.2 Cosmic Rhythm 37 
CHAPTER THREE 
Organic Architecture - The Transcendence 
3.0 The Way of Becoming Transcendence 
3.1 Giving birth 39 
3.2 The way of giving birth 41 
3.2.1 Texture 43 
3.2.2 Colour 44 
3.2.3 Sound 44 
3.3 The Destination 46 
Summary 48 
CHAPTER FOUR 
Organic Nature in Sri Lankan Vernacular Architecture 
4.0 Organic nature in Macro planning , Macro planning and individual 
building planning 1 
4.1 Organic nature in Macro, Micro and Individual building 49 
planning - Early settlements in Agriculture based society. 
4.1.1 Early settlements 50 
4.1.2 Factors Influencing the selection of the settlement 52 
4.1.3 Development of settlements - Macro Planning and its 52 
organic nature 
4.1.3(a) Village Settlements and its organic nature 52 
4.1.3(b) Urban Settlements and its organic nature 70 
IV 
4.2 Organic nature in Micro planning -Planning of Building 
Complexes and Individual Buildings Case study -
Kaludiya Pokuna monastic complex 
4.2.1 Historical perspective in wider contest 75 
4.2.2 Planning aspects of the lay out 75 
4.2.2 (a ) Organization of spaces 79 
4.2.2 (b) Hierarchical order and the integrity of 87 
inside and the outside 
4.2.3 The way that the Elements of the Complex were 
arrange to achieve an organic form 
4.2.3(a) Flight of steps 88 
4.2.3(b) Entrance doorways 91 
4.2.3 (c) Natural elements - water rocks and boulders 93 
4.2.3 (d) Individual buildings 96 
CONCLUSION 100 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 103 
v 
LIST OF FIGURES 
CHAPTER TWO 
2-1 Continuity and Discontinuity 20 
2-2 Flow plan of slave ship 24 
2-3 Slave workers' quarters 24 
2-4 Part of the town Palaecastro 24 
2-5 Human spine 25 
2-6 Rhythm of the paddy field 26 
2-7 The sea shell 26 
2-8 Plan of Farnsworth house 28 
2-9 Square at Venice 29 
2-10 Square at Rome 29 
2-11 Falling Water, Pennsylvania 31 
CHAPTER THREE 
3-1 Rigid symmetry 39 
3-2 Organic symmetry 40 
3-3 A child drawing and Lap tent 41 
3-4 Plan of Stupa 43 
3-5 Relationship between place and people 46 
CHAPTER FOUR 
4-1 Map of Ceylon 51 
4-2 Sketch of village setting 56 
4-3 Housing lay out in agricultural society 57 
4-4 Settlement formed in association with the tank 58 
4-5 The geographical setting of the Nachcheduwa tank fed settlement 59 
4-6 Lay out of rain fed village 61 
4-7 Typical tank fed village 62 
4-8 Lay out of Ukgal Aluthnuwara 66 
4-9 Embekke Dewala village 67 
4-10 Lay out of Embekke Dewala village 68 
4-11 Lay out of Gadaladeniya temple village 68 
4-12 Lay out of Vegiriya Dewalagama 69 
4-13 Anuradhapura in 500 B.C 71 
4-14 Nuwara wewa and surrounding 71 
4-15 Anuradhapura in 400 B.C. 73 
4-16 Anuradhapura in 250 B.C. 73 
4-17 Anuradhapura in 700 A. D. 74 
4-18 The geographical map of Mihintale 79 
4-19 Kaludiya Pokuna on it's geographical context. 81 
4-20 Lay out plan of Baensch house ( 1935 ) 86 
4-21 Lay out plan of Kaludiyapokuna 86 
4-22 Plan of entrance path 90 
VI 
4-23 Section of the entrance path 
4-24 Plan of Dagaba at Kaludiya Pokuna 
4-25 Plan of the cave house at Kaludiya Poku 
4-26 Section of the cave house 
4-27 Ground plan panchawasa 
4-28 Plan of the padhanangara 
VII 
LIST OF PLATES 
PLATE NO: PAGE NO: 
CHAPTER ONE 
1-1 Man and his space 2 
1-2 Man and his space 2 
1-3 House plan of Hugo Haring in 1946 3 
1-4 Wright's studio and home 4 
* 1-5 Taliesin near Spring Green, Wisconsin 4 
1-6 Philharmonie, Berlin 6 
1-7 Philharmonie, Berlin 6 
1-8 East Elevation of Philharmonie 6 
1-9 Part of Guell park 7 
1-10 Integration of parts into meaningful whole 9 
1-11 Keller's holiday house in Flimswaldhaus 10 
1-12 Keller's holiday house in Flimswaldhaus 10 
1-13 Studenbuhl school in Zurich 11 
1-14 Studenbuhl school in Zurich 11 
1-15 The symbiosis of part and whole 14 
1-16 " Vernacular" is a reaction to something 17 
CHAPTER TWO 
2-1 Eiffel tower, Paris 20 
'* 2-2 Einstein tower after Mendelsohan 20 
2-3 Street sequences of Greece 23 
2-4 The Britany tower Nantes, France 23 
2-5 Standared apartment block for Tapani 27 
2-6 Farnsworth house ' 28 
2-7 Falling Watter in the context 34 
2-8 Mission church of Saint Francisat 34 
CHAPTER THREE 
3-1 Symmetry found in Nature 40 
3-2 Dull spaces to live 42 
3-3 " Romeo" and " Juliet" 47 
CHAPTER FOUR 
4-1 Wawai (tank ) Dagabai ( Stupa ) 55 
4-2 Gamai ( village ) Pansalai (temple ) 55 
4-3 Houses located at either sides of the processional path 70 
4-4 View of Rajagirilenakanda from Kaludiya Pokuna 77 
4-5 View of Anai- Kuttikanda from Kaludiya Pokuna 78 
4-6 Natural features of the context determined the built environment 80 
4-7 Built environment harmonize with the natural environment 82 
4-8 The solitary life of the " Pamsukulika " Bhikkues 82 
VIII 
4-9 The geometric discipline created by terraces 83 
4-10 The width of the terrace reduced to form a path way 83 
4-11 The width of the terrace reduced to give a space for tree 84 
4-12 Terraces created towards the pond 84 
4-13 Sequence of experience, approach to Kakudiya Pokuna 89 
4-14 Sequence of experience, approach to Kakudiya Pokuna 89 
4-15 Sequence of experience, approach to Kakudiya Pokuna 89 
4-16 Sequence of experience, approach to Kakudiya Pokuna 89 
4-17 Glimpse of the complex through the secondary flight of steps 91 
4-18 Main entrance to Kaludiya Pokuna 92 
4-19 Secondary entrance to Kaludiya Pokuna 92 
4-20 The black colour effect of Kaludiya Pokkuna 93 
4-21 The Dagaba at Kaludiya Pokuna 94 
4-22 Cave house at Kaludiya Pokuna 96 
IX 
ABSTRACT 
Organic Architecture i s living being. It has it own soul and moves forward a l l 
the time. It goes beyond from making and it achieves it's power through subtly 
and presence with a sense of flowing space, as in a living organism and 
thus blends with nature. The significance about organic architecture is that it 
steers a middle path between the extremes of narrow traditionalism and 
extravagance of contemporary commercialism. It is metaphysical in essence as it 
deals with nature of being. Accordingly organic architecture is not rhetorical, but 
transcendental in form. It is loosely defined most oftenly and most people fails 
to understand it's subtlety power of essence. However the Architecture practicing 
today is in the absence of organic Architecture. 
This study is an attempt to examine the notion and essence of the organic 
Architecture which is transcendental in his nature and related to creativity. 
Organic Architecture as an idea has not been explored very often either in 
Architectural literature or in practice. So, this study is geared towards 
emphasizing its importance of application, and attempts to analyze, how organic 
architecture is achieved its essence, the way it is interesting dealing with the 
sense of flowing spaces, and its subtle relationship with natural metaphors. 
Organic Architecture which is intangible in its nature can be best understood b y 
theoretical hypothesis. By this study it was intended to analyze the idea of 
organic architecture its components, and the it's provision of becoming as more 
tangible idea trough the experience of place. It will be understood by relevance 
and application in realistic terms. Following this hypothesis the procedure is 
established, the methodology of application is ignored to create organic 
Architecture; Basic hypothesis is very important in understanding what soul or 
essence of organic Architecture is. In order to establish it, theoretical ideologies 
will be used based on available literature. This will be further confirmed b y 
analysis of existing spaces in the Sri Lankan context, through selected case 
studies. 
Finally this study will be important to establish a new interpretation of organic 
architecture as sense of flowing space having a subtle power rather than form 
making. 
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